A New Addition To The Family
by Giacinta2
Summary: The Winchesters are busy digging up a grave to get rid off a ghost, when a couple of unexpected visitors turn up, one of whom has a secret agenda.


"It's them. I'm sure it is!"

"It's pitch dark, Mikey. How can you be certain? We're too far away."

"Look over there, Ash. Even if I can't make out their faces clearly, I'd never mistake the car."

:

With a pointing finger Michael indicated the shadowy outline of a Chevy Impala, parked just outside the side gate of the cemetery.

"It's definitely Dean and Sam!' he repeated excitedly, watching in fascination as two men effortlessly dug out spadesful of soil from a grave. "We've finally found them. "

His brother nodded unconvinced. He still had doubts about this entire affair, but he hadn't wanted Michael to go off on his own, no matter how senseless he considered his brother's search for the two hunters.

:

Asher sighed. "So, now what? We just jump out and say 'Hi'?'

Michael shrugged. Now that he'd found the brothers, the doubts about this being a good idea began to assail him too.

"I guess. We can't let them drive off and lose them. You wait here, Ash. I'll go first, just in case."

"No way. I'd rather go home to bed than get up close with two guys digging graves but, in any case, I got your back."

:

Michael glanced at his younger brother.

Even after all he'd told him, Ash still found it difficult to believe in the 'there are monsters out there' litany which Michael had revealed to him a couple of months ago when the younger boy had turned seventeen.

The story about a life-force sucking, monster had been the stuff of horror movies, but Michael hadn't backed down an inch at his brother's sceptical expression.

"Those guys saved your life, Ash. And that Shtriga is only one of the freaks out there."

"But why do we have to get involved in this? I'm grateful they saved my life. But I don't remember any of it, Mike. I was only a kid at the time."

"Well I remember, and if it hadn't been for them I'd be an only child now. I wanted to find them again. Thank them properly."

"And just how are we going to do that," his brother had retorted. "You don't even know their surname. Just 'Sam and Dean' is pretty vague."

"I think I overheard them, back then, saying they followed leads on strange stories in the papers, on internet and stuff. We can do the same. Eventually we'll meet up."

Asher had sighed, but when his big brother got an idea into his head, he was as stubborn as a mule.

:

True to his words, Michael had browsed the internet and weekly papers for anything that seemed weird enough to be investigated, and he'd driven to various towns where random strange things had been reported.

But when he'd got there, either it had been a hoax or any evidence of the supernatural had been long gone.

So, when he'd read of a supposed ghost in a one-horse town on the outskirts of their home state of Wisconsin, he'd gotten ready to go.

Sometimes Asher came along to keep him company, but Michael usually preferred to go alone, memories of what had happened to his little brother so many years ago, still fresh in his mind.

This time though, Ash had insisted, even if he repeatedly warned Michael that the odds of finding Sam and Dean with the method he'd been using, were zero minus minus.

However, it seemed they'd beaten the odds, for here they were, about to speak to the two men who'd saved Ash at the risk of their own lives.

:

Unheeding of Michael's cautioning to stay back and let him approach the brothers on his own, Ash followed him.

The younger boy might have doubts about what Mikey was doing, but he wasn't going to let his big brother approach two unknowns in the middle of the night in a dark graveyard.

:

:

"This one's ripe," said Dean, twitching his nose as he sliced through the wood of the coffin lid with the sharp point of his spade. Even after years of being shoulder to shoulder with death, blood and rotting corpses, you never got used to the smell.

"Yeah, " Sam replied, "but this ghost was on a roll, taking out people at the rate of one a day. He's got to go, the sooner the better."

:

"Uh, hi there!"

Both brothers turned to stare in the direction of the voice, but instead of the graveyard custodian or a passing cop, there was only a tall young guy, with a shorter kid at his back.

The Winchesters exchanged 'what the fuck' glances.

Sam pulled his gun from his waistband and pointed it towards the boys. Evil came in all shapes and sizes as he well knew.

"Who the fuck are you, " Sam asked, while Dean pulled himself out of the grave to stand at his side.

Michael gulped at the sight of the weapon, but he spoke up in a wavering voice. "I'm Michael and this is Ash," he said nodding back to his brother.

A frown of confusion appeared on Sam's forehead. "What...?"

:

Dean took a step forward. "Michael, Asher…?" He waved a knowing finger. "The Shtriga. Yeah, now I remember You…. were that mouthy kid back in…?"

"Fitchburg," Michael supplied. "You saved my little brother's life."

:

Dean looked over at Sam. "That was your purple dog shirt era. Sammy!"

Sam's frown deepened and he looked accusingly at Dean. "I never knew what happened to that shirt. One day I just couldn't find it anymore."

His brother grinned. "You probably left it in some motel room."

"You made it disappear. Own up to it like a man!" Sam bitched.

:

Michaël and Asher were looking on at the exchange with wide eyes. Whatever they were expecting, it wasn't to witness light-hearted brother baiting.

"Uh, guys." Michael coughed.

Dean's expression grew serious. "So why are you kids here?"

"And even more important," Sam broke in, "is how you managed to find us."

:

"I've been looking for you, sifting through truckloads of weird stuff, trying to guess where you might show up. I didn't have any other way of getting in touch."

"Why would you want to?" Dean asked.

Michael drew a deep breath before admitting to the true reason for searching out the Winchesters. "I want to become a hunter. Will you guys teach me? Take me on as an apprentice."

The most taken aback by Michael's words was Asher.

"What?" He pulled at his brother's arm, turning him towards him. "You told me you only wanted to thank these guys, now you come out with this! Have you totally lost it?"

"I've been thinking about it for ages, Ash. I want to help people, save them. Use my life for good. I don't want to end up in some office filing forms."

"What about me? What about mom?" Asher countered. "We've got the motel to look after. You don't have to work another job."

"You and mom can run the motel just fine on your own. This is something I want to do. Then it's not as if I won't come back and see you guys."

:

"Hey. Just one goddammed minute, " Dean declared. "None of this is gonna happen! We don't take in apprentices. Sorry, kid. We're strictly a two-man combo."

"That doesn't make any sense, " Michael replied. "You guys should be passing on all the experience you have to others."

"We've never really thought about it like that, " Sam said gently. "It's always been me and Dean. It wouldn't be easy for us to include an outsider."

"That's fucking selfish, " Michael said raising his voice. "You should be training replacements for hunters who die. And don't tell me they're immortal."

:

Dean exchanged glances with his brother.

"No, Dean." Sam ventured. "It's a bad idea!"

"We could take the kid on a few hunts. Let him see how it plays out. I bet he'll soon run back home."

:

"Hey, you don't talk about people when they're present. Look guys, I get it, you don't like outsiders, but give me a chance."

"Feisty little shit, " Dean grinned. "Well, now that you're here, give us two old geezers a rest and fill in the grave!"

:

:

So that was how Michael found himself gaping with awe at the bunker.

He glanced at the brothers standing at each side of him, amused at his reaction.

"Come on, Mikey. I'll show you to a room. But remember you're here on a trial run. Your brother has already told me he'll come after my ass if I let anything happen to you."

"It's Mike," he corrected.

Dean rolled his eyes, looked over at his brother, and grinned.

:

The end.


End file.
